Jamaal Williams Impresses Early On

A few months back after the open scrimmage BYU held toward the end of fall camp,I was talking to Big Bro about what I saw. I remember telling him there was a freshman that I thought was going to be a straight up stud for BYU for the next few years. I described his ability to get up-field quickly and make tacklers miss, all while holding onto the ball.

Yes, I was describing true freshman running back Jamaal Williams.

Jamaal Williams (21) had his best game against Hawaii

I was so excited to see this guy play in 2013. I was hoping he could sneak in a few snaps here and there to get some quality time in 2012. I even tweeted Jason Franchuck of the Daily Herald a few times to get his insights on the matter. Both of us agreed that he needed some field reps for him to be a consistent contributor. However, neither of us expected him to get the time and touches he has so far this season.

Jamaal Williams has been as good as advertised. He has shown the ability to catch the ball out of the back field, as well as take it between the tackles. He can get around the edge and make guys miss, not to mention lower his shoulder and lay some guys out. All to get an average of over 5 yards per carry. That's impressive for a senior running back. But this all coming from a guy who can't even vote on November 6.

I have thoroughly enjoyed watching Williams get more and more reps. This is happening partially due to the injury to Michael Alisa. However, even before Alisa's injury Williams was seeing the field for decent experience for a true freshman. He has proven to be one of the biggest offensive threats for BYU this season. He is only going to get more touches, and only going to get better.

I sure hope this kid stays healthy, and stays in Provo. If he does, I think we can all expect awesome things from Jamaal Williams. We have gotten a good glimpse of what he can do this year already. What more has he got to show us?